STORE FILE REPEATEDLY CORRUPTED--OE5.5 NEWSGROUPS DISPLAY FREEZES PC I have posted before... but am starting fresh with new info, vantage point--would appreciate serious moderator consideration--I’ve spent HOURS on this. [Win98,2nd ed.]Outlook Express 5.5 freezes when Displaying the list of Newsgroups for my Access4Less Server & sometimes when Downloading the list of Newsgroups or even when changing from another server to the A4L server on the list. But I’ve had 1 or 2 similar freezes with another server,I don’t think it’s limited to A4L. [Note:I never have a problem with MSNews server -- & it has very few Newsgroups] The most likely scenario is: After a large number of downloads [in any server], when I then change from another server to the A4L server & then reply yes to the prompt: “You are unsubscribed...Do you want to see a list of NewsGroups?”--- the PC is frozen & I have to do a bad shutdown--OVER & OVER again!! THERE SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH DAMAGED [OR INCONSISTENT SIZE RECORDING OF] .DBX FILES-- “STORE FILES” --------------------- Early on I got this Error Message:”An Outlook Express store file may be damaged.Please use a utility such as ScanDisk to verify and repair any damaged files.” So I ran Scandisk which made the repairs & the problem was solved, but recurred immediately & I did a 2nd repair. Here’s the Scandisk log of these 2 errors:Note: the 1st one is by far the MOST COMMON ERROR: 1] “Incorrect information about Folders.dbx The size of the file was different from the size recorded for it in its folder.” in C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express ------------ 2] [details same as above] for the file: ALT.GUITAR.TAB.DBX --this was after visiting the ALT.GUITAR.TAB.DBX newsgroup. -------------------- I noticed from then on that the errors had to be repaired up w ScanDisk or the freeze would usually will reoccur immediately, or sometimes OE5.5 wouldn’t even open. ________________________________________ I did try the technique of renaming,or deleting all the .dbx files -- which definitely helped in preventing a immediate reoccurrence--but didn’t solve the freezups!. ------ Other typical errors repaired by ScanDisk were: frequent Lost File Fragments, Temp File Size Errors , see examples below: 1]ScanDisk found 5177344 bytes of data in 2 lost file fragment(s).Resolution: Discard lost file fragment(s) 2]The C:\WINDOWS\temp folder contained incorrect information about ~WRS0006.tmp (MS-DOS name ~WRS0006.TMP): size of file different from size recorded in its folder. __________________________________________________________ Other weird problems I have had include: 1]Repeated change of my password A4L server password--this has stopped. 2]Multiple numbered copies of Deleted items & Sent folders & inabilty to delete items--this apparently was caused by not doing an immediate Scandisk repair! 3]Loss of all Newsgroup lists & downloaded stored content [& all visited NG’s suddenly changed to “Subscribed” status] --this was BEFORE I had purged any .dbx files! 4]2 different ver’s of NG list displayed. _______________________________________________________ I tried to no avail the self repair of IE 5.0 ,ie : Control Panel , Add / Remove , click on Microsoft Internet Explorer/ Choice 2. Repair ,[ fixes problems that may crop up with IE5/ Outlook Express] _________________________________________________________ I DON’T have auto compact of messages turned on I cleaned out TIF & Temp. _____________________________________________________ I also tried changing the Store File location [back] to the default: C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Identities\{xxxxxxxxxxxx}\Microsoft\Outlook Express ___________________________________________ I also used RegMon Log to record the moment of the freeze--ie: the moment of the display of the NG’s & tried comparing that to the normal display of the NG’s. I see that the frozen vs. non-frozen RegMon logs for the moment of display of NG’s are virtually identical [but have different numbers] & don’t seem to shed any light. The 2 frozen RegMon logs have different numbers but otherwise virtually identical altho the 2nd has 4 xtra entries. All say “Outlook Express\5.0\Columns” does this mean version 5.0?--but mine is 5.5! ________________________________________________________________ The problem is not likely related to a video driver--it’s only under OE5.5 & specific. ______________________________________________________________ I have combed MSKNB ,Google--under groups [which indexes OE5.5 NewsGroups],the OE5.5 NewsGroup itself, & Computing.net windows forum & all the links at tomsterdam. _______________________________________________________ My last 3 questions are: 1]Is reinstalling OE5.5 my best bet now? ------------------------ 2]I assume I have to reinstall IE5.0 to reinstall OE5.5--yes? -I’ve looked around & don’t see any other way .. So: Does anyone recommend uninstalling IE5.0 before reinstalling ? How about Upgrading to IE 5.5? ------------ 3] I mainly use OE5.5 for NewsGroups-- Altho I‘d like to solve this problem---would I better off with FreeAgent ...or ?